The best places to visit in Ooty

Ooty or Udagamandalam is a beautiful hillstation in south India. It is carpeted by lush greenery and fairly untouched landscapes. Often referred to as the Queen of Hillstations, Ooty draws a large number of tourists every year,  attracted by it’s natural beauty and perfect picnic spots. We discover some of the best places to visit in Ooty.

Coonoor

Less than 20 kilometers from Ooty, Coonoor makes a great day trip. Coonoor is a very laid back place where most activities are centered around nature and its appreciation. This is the ideal place to feel one with Mother Nature and indulge in some rest and relaxation.

Tea Estate in Ooty

Niligiri Toy Train Ride

Nilgiri’s famous Toy Train is a great way to reach Coonoor. The charming train started operating over a century ago and considering the terrain of the region it is rightfully considered an engineering marvel. The blue-cream train oozes old world charm with delightful wooden coaches and large windows that provide enchanting views. It’s called a toy train because it’s so slow that you can high-five the children outside. It stops every hour and so you can easily hop in and out for a short photo session. A ride of the usually crowded train should be considered as a rare experience as well as a functional mode of transport.

Ooty Toy Train

History of Nature

Ooty is a feast for those interested in horticulture. Many varieties of fruits and flowers are grown at the Government Botanical gardens, which were opened in 1847. The Gardens have well over 650 species of plants and trees, including a fossil of a tree, which is believed to be more than 20 million years old.

Government Botanical Gardens

Lake Ooty

If you like the outdoors you will love the Ooty lake. It was built in 1825 and is almost 3 kms long. Boating, angling, strolling around the perimeter are popular activities here. This is one of the best places to visit in Ooty for families who want to spend time together. Fishing permission is required ahead of time.

Ooty Lake

The Dodabetta Peak

Perched at an altitude of 2,623 meters, this is the highest point in the district, and the best place to visit in Ooty for a spectacular vantage point. It is located 10kms from Ooty and is a great place for photographers and nature lovers. On a clear day you can see as far as Coimbatore and the flat highlands of Mysore.

Lamb’s Rock

This is another vantage point that’s shared by Coonoor and Ooty in terms of distance. It serves as a lovely picnic spot and offers splendid vistas of the plains of Coimbatore and the region’s tea states.

A beautiful scene on the way to Lamb’s rock, Ooty

Kodanadu

16kms from Kotagiri is Kodanadu. It is situated on the eastern edge of the Nilgiris. This is also a good viewpoint, which offers enchanting views of the Moyar river and endless tea estates. The Rangasamy peak is visible from the watchtower here.

Festivities

In January, you can enjoy a Tea and Tourism Festival. But other important regional festivals are Thaipoosam in Elk Hill Murugan Temple (February), Bookkapuram Mariamman Annual Festival (February), Ooty Mariamman Temple Festival (April), Coonoor Mariamman Temple Festival (April), Boat Races and Boat Pageantry in Ooty (May), Flower show in Ooty (May) and Fruit show in Coonoor (May).

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

• The nearest airport is in Coimbatore, 100 km away. You can catch a direct flight to Coimbatore from Chennai, Kozhikode, Bangalore and Mumbai. Ooty is a 3 to 4 hour drive from Coimbatore, depending upon traffic and weather conditions.
• Nearest broad gauge railway head is Mettupalayam (46 kms). The major broad gauge railway junction is Coimbatore. It is connected with all major cities.
• Mettupalayam to Ooty is connected by a Mountain Railway which is a scenic 4 hour journey. The ‘Nilgiri toy train’ connects these two destinations, at the foot of the Nilgiris.
• Ooty is well connected by good roads. It is 535 km from Chennai (via Salem), 89 km from Coimbatore, 18 km from Coonoor (via Gudalur), 155 km from Mysore, 187 km from Calicut, 290 km from Bangalore, 281 km from Kochi (via Coimbatore and Palakkad), 236 km from Kodaikanal (via Coimbatore and Palani).
• Ooty enjoys superb weather all year round. December and January are its winter months. The temperature in winter hovers around 5C. In summer, the temperature can go up to 25C.
• A homestay offers the perfect accommodation for a trip to Ooty. A mere five minute drive from the main Ooty town Aarani Cottage makes an ideal base to stay.
• Many visitors opt to stay in Coonoor and take day trips to Ooty. Check out our wide range of Coonoor homestays.

An Architectural Extravaganza – The City Palace, Jaipur

Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, promises a heady mix of all things Indian – vivid colours, bustling markets, gastronomical delights and most importantly, a walk into history. The city embraces some of the most fantastic monuments in the country and is sprinkled with forts, monuments and structures from the Rajput era. For those who want to take a stroll into the glorious period of Kings and Royalty, this is the place. Out of many such monuments, the City Palace in Jaipur is quite striking. Here is a guide for planning your visit.

City Palace - Jaipur Rajasthan - India

History and Architecture

The City Palace was the muse of Sawai Jai Singh II who was responsible to give its initial structure from 1729 to 1732. Later, two able architects Vidyadar Bhattacharya and also the Sawai himself infused the Indian nuances with Mughal and European details to make it one of the most awe inspiring buildings in the city. It was the seat for the ruling King of Jaipur and included the two palace complexes – Chandra Mahal and Mubarak Mahal. Even now, the City Palace, commands the erstwhile awe and respect from visitors all across the globe.

Entrance of City Palace 

Apart from the palace complexes, the City Palace houses a museum. The other notable parts of the structure are the Diwan – I – Khas, Pitam Niwas Chowk, Diwan-I-Aam, Maharani’s Palace, Baggi Khana and the Govind Ji Temple. Stories like that of Ishwari Singh (son of Jai Singh) who died after being bitten by a snake and his 21 wives committing ‘sati’ (sitting in the funeral pyre of the husband) still hang heavy in the corridors of the palace. Make sure that you take your time to soak in the history and the legendary stories that reverberate in this magnificent structure.

A doorway inside City Palace

How to Get There

Jaipur is well connected to Delhi by road and rail, it is not necessary to take a flight as the distance is only 277 kms and it takes not more than 4 hours to reach. The trains are also very convenient and well timed. Within the city, City Palace is quite accessible. Use a cab or local transport like auto rickshaws to get there. Please note that the entry is only from two of the three gates – Virendra Pol and the Udai Pol or the Atish Pol (Stable Gate). The third gate, Tripolia, is reserved for the Royal family.

Best Time to Visit

Weather wise, Jaipur has great weather between the months of October and December. Extreme cold and heat in the respective months are difficult to deal with for some, especially the summers.

City palace interior

Opening Times

The City Palace and the Museum are open between 10.00 a.m – 5.00 p.m on the days of the week. It is only closed on major festivals like Holi, Diwali and other select few. Please check before you plan your trip.

Entry Fees

As almost all historical places in India, the fees for foreign nationals is more than Indians. Foreign National – Rs 150 for adults, Rs 80 for children and Indians – Rs 35 for adults, Rs 20 for children.

Other Tips

• There are plenty of guides available at the Palace. Choose a government certified person only as the rates are fixed. One can tip accordingly based on your experience.
• The aarti in the Govind Ji Temple can be seen 7 times in the day. Check for the timing before you get in.
• Be suitably dressed as a mark of respect. String tops & shorts etc for women are common as Rajasthan is a travel hub, but carry a light stole around the shoulders is recommended for women.

Winter Sports in India

India is well known for its highest peak and big mountains ranges, these ranges offers all kind of mountaineering, aero sports as well as the winter sports in India. Himalayan region of India are ideal destinations for chill and thrill adventures winter sports. The Snow-capped Mountains, lush greenery and a cool breeze are the assets to the north Indian, which makes them one of the best destinations for the snow sports. The hill station of India like Shimla, Darjeeling, Nainital, Gulmarg and Srinagar are counted as best for the snow sports. The unexplored valleys, snow-capped mountains with stunning glaciers, and towering peaks are the major adventures places for snow sports such as Skiing, Ice skating, Ice Climbing and Snowboarding. Other recreational sports include Ice hockey, Figure skating, Snowmobile, Ice fishing, snow cycling, snow football and snowball fight can also be enjoyed some time.

Skiing: 

This recreational activity is most famous snow sports, used skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are connect to the toe and heels with the use of a binding. Many different types of skiing are also popular such as Alpine skiing, Freestyle skiing and Military skiing. The major destination with fine, flowing, snowy slopes for skiing in India are Auli, Pahalgam, Manali, Narkanda, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. Gulmarg is one of the most popular skiing destinations in India.

Skiing in Gulmarg - India

Skating:

Ice skating is one of the major attractions of snow sports in India. The destination for Ice-skating in India is shimla, himachal pradesh. Ice-skating carnival of Shimla is famous for major winter sports like ice hockey, dance performances and figure skating. Ice Skating Association of India is take care of the all ice skating sports.

Ice Skating in Shimla

Snowboarding: 

Snowboard is board attached to a rider’s feet using a special boot set onto mounted binding. The free-ride style of snowboarding is the most common and easily accessible style of snowboarding,consists of riding down any terrain. Another style of snowboarding is Freestyles, In freestyle, the rider uses man-made terrain features to perform tricks. The chill and thrill Snowboarding needs skills and exercises like maintain body balance, turning of the board,Edging,control and timing.

Snowboarding in Shimla and Gulmarg

Sledding: 

Sledding or sledge is similar to sliding in seated position on a device called as sledge. In sledding riders, ride down from a snow covered hill and determines the path by twists and turns. Lying on the stomach can also be a good technique to improve the fun of sledge ride.

Sledding in Shimla

Ice climbing: 

India is a paradise for mountaineering lovers, its large belt of mountain ranges are well known for climbing. As a sport, ice climbing is still evolving in India, it is one of the fastest growing sports of India. The thrilling and adventures winter sport ice climbing is one of the major attractions of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh tourism.

Ice Climbing - Himachal Pradesh